Tool with over pressure indicator and lockout

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016299015-A1
Application number	US-201514683369-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2015
Publication date	Oct 13, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tool is used in securing or clamping two or more workpieces together provides a visual indication to a user of the tool of an acceptable range of compression pressure exerted by the tool on a work surface of the workpieces and a visual indication of when a maximum compression pressure exerted by the tool on the work surface has been exceeded.

First claim

1 . A tool for exerting a compression pressure on a work surface, the tool comprising:
a body having a length with opposite first and second ends and a width, an interior bore extending through the length of the body and a lock passage extending across the width of the body, the lock passage intersecting the interior bore; a lock bolt in the lock passage of the body, the lock bolt being biased toward the interior bore; a shaft extending through the interior bore of the body, the shaft being moveable through the interior bore between a first position of the shaft relative to the body and a second position of the shaft relative to the body, the shaft having a first portion extending from the first end of the body and the shaft having a second portion extending from the second end of the body, the shaft having an indent in the shaft between the first portion of the shaft and the second portion of the shaft, the shaft having first and second visual indicators on the second portion of the shaft adjacent the indent in the shaft and with the second visual indicator being positioned on the second portion of the shaft between the first visual indicator and the indent in the shaft, the first and second visual indicators being positioned inside the interior bore of the body when the shaft is in the first position of the shaft relative to the body; a spring biasing the shaft toward the first position of the shaft relative to the body where with there being no compression pressure exerted by the first portion of the shaft on a work surface, the spring biases the shaft to the first position of the shaft relative to the body; where with the first portion of the shaft exerting a compression pressure on a work surface, the compression pressure resists the spring biasing the shaft to the first position of the shaft relative to the body and moves the shaft toward the second position of the shaft relative to the body resulting in the first visual indicator to be visible from exterior of the body; and, where with the first portion of the shaft exerting a further compression pressure on the work surface that exceeds the maximum compression pressure, the increased compression pressure further resists the spring biasing the shaft toward the first position of the shaft relative to the body and moves the shaft to the second position of the shaft relative to the body where the second visual indicator is visible from exterior of the body and the indent into the shaft is aligned with the lock passage in the body, resulting in the lock bolt being biased into the indent into the shaft where the lock bolt locks the shaft in the second position of the shaft relative to the body.

2 . The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the first visual indicator is positioned on the second portion of the shaft and relative to the body to emerge from the interior bore of the body at the second end of the body and be visible exterior of the body in response to the shaft being moved toward the second position of the shaft relative to the body.

3 . The tool of claim 2 , further comprising:
the first visual indicator being positioned on the second portion of the shaft and the second visual indicator being positioned on the second portion of the shaft where when the shaft is moved toward the second position of the shaft relative to the body causing the first visual indicator to be visible from exterior of the body the second visual indicator is positioned inside the interior bore of the body and is not visible from exterior of the body.

4 . The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the spring biasing the shaft is a coil spring on the first portion of the shaft and acting against the first portion of the shaft and the first end of the body; and, an abutment on the second portion of the shaft, the abutment being positioned on the second portion of the shaft where the abutment engages against the second end of the body when the coil spring biases the shaft to the first position of the shaft relative to the body to hold the shaft in the first position of the shaft relative to the body.

5 . The tool of claim 4 , further comprising:
the coil spring positioned on the first portion of the shaft engages with the first portion of the shaft and the first end of the body.

6 . The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
an opening in the body communicating with the interior bore and the lock passage in the body, the opening providing access to the lock bolt with the lock bolt biased into the indent in the shaft to enable disengaging the lock bolt from the indent in the shaft.

7 . The tool of claim 6 , further comprising:
a cap attached to the body, the cap covering over the opening in the body, the cap being removable from the body to provide access to the lock bolt in the indent in the shaft.

8 . The tool of claim 7 , further comprising:
the cap being a tamper evident barrier that requires breaking the cap to remove the cap from the opening in the body and access the lock bolt biased into the indent in the shaft.

9 . The tool of claim 1 , further comprising:
the tool being a part of a manually operated clamp.

10 . A tool for exerting a compression pressure on a work surface, the tool comprising:
a body having a length and a width, a body first end surface and a body second end surface at opposite ends of the length of the body, an interior bore extending through the length of the body and through the body first end surface and the body second end surface, and a lock passage extending across the width of the body and through the interior bore; a lock bolt in the lock passage of the body, the lock bolt being biased through the lock passage toward the interior bore of the body; a shaft having a length that extends through the interior bore of the body, a shaft first end surface and a shaft second end surface at opposite ends of the length of the shaft, the shaft having an exterior surface that extends along the length of the shaft with a shaft first exterior surface portion that extends from the body first end surface to the shaft first end surface and a shaft second exterior surface portion that extends from the body second end surface to the shaft second end surface, the shaft being received in the interior bore of the body for reciprocating movements of the shaft in a first direction of the shaft relative to the body where the shaft first end surface moves away from the body first end surface and in a second direction of the shaft relative to the body where the shaft first end surface moves toward the body first end surface, the first direction and the second direction being opposite directions, the shaft having an indent in the shaft between the shaft first exterior surface portion and the shaft second exterior surface portion, a first visual indicator on the shaft second exterior surface portion, a second visual indicator on the shaft second exterior surface portion, the second visual indicator being positioned on the shaft second exterior surface portion between the indent in the shaft and the first visual indicator; a spring on the shaft, the spring biasing the shaft in the first direction relative to the body, the spring biasing the shaft to a first position of the shaft relative to the body when the shaft first end surface is not exerting a compression pressure on a work surface, the first visual indicator and the second visual indicator being positioned on the shaft second exterior surface portion where the first visual indicator and the second visual indicator are positioned inside the interior bore of the body and are not visible exterior of the body when the shaft is in the first position of the shaft relative to the body; the first visual indicator a

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Schmier Ii Mark A
• Estevo Curtis R
• Delany David J

Classifications

• B25B5/125 Primary

  C-clamps · CPC title

• B25B5/163

  Jaws or jaw attachments · CPC title

• B25B1/2405

  Construction of the jaws · CPC title

• G01L1/06 Primary

  by measuring the permanent deformation of gauges, e.g. of compressed bodies · CPC title

• B25B5/06

  Arrangements for positively actuating jaws · CPC title